Cousin Talk

[Evelyn Manning-Kingsley]

After the holiday Evelyn went back to Hogwarts. She was kind of hopeful that she would have her badge back soon. The blonde couldn't wait to act like a prefect again. It was kind of ashamed to not have it and people were questioning her about it. Evelyn wouldn't lie about what she did, because she hated lies. Ofcourse Zenia would turn it in her story that she was the victim and so sad! Evelyn still hated the girl and would never apologize for what she did. She felt sorry for her head of house who she had let down, and knew the woman had lots to deal with at the moment. The blonde was happy with Lucas and enjoyed spending time with him. Though she missed Noah still, and felt bad for him about leaving Hogwarts. Evelyn hoped they would be friends one day again, since he was her first love and good friend for lots of years.

Evelyn moved to the Great Hall to get some breakfast. She was eager to see her friends again. Evelyn had spend so much time with Lucas that she secretly forgot about her friends. The blonde didn't liked that at all so wanted to look out for them soon. She knew that Amber was happy with Ainsley, but still had to meet up with the girl. Ofcourse she had seen her before in classes, but not actually talking to eachother. The blonde entered the Great Hall and walked over to the Gryffindor table. But before she arrived there she noticed a familliar blonde Manning. It was Emilia her cousin and Evelyn smiled as she saw the girl. She hoped that the girl had found her way around Hogwarts by now and made some friends. But the last part seemed to be happening, and with a boy! Evelyn had eyes everywhere so she noticed her cousin and a boy at the Yule Ball. Evelyn liked that for her cousin and hoped the boy was nice to her. The blonde walked over to Emilia and went sitting next to her. '' Hi Emilia!'' The blonde said with a smile and looked over to other students for a second at the Hufflepuff table. She didn't saw Amber yet, so she figured she was early here. '' You looked beautiful at the Yule Ball! I've noticed you with a boy. He is kind of cute, is he your friend?'' Evelyn asked to her younger cousin. The blonde was always curious about stuff and people, and mostly just asked for it.

 

[Emilia Manning]

Emilia always felt a little sad and melancholy after returning to school. The girl was still not quite over the homesickness she felt sometimes while at the castle, and it always seemed to be a little bit worse after a holiday. She was sitting at the Hufflepuff table in the great hall, poking at her breakfast quietly. Before the holidays, she'd had a really fun time at the yule ball, but now school was back to normal and it was no longer as magical. She looked up in surprise when someone took the seat next to her, her face breaking into a wide smile as she saw who it was. "Evelyn!" She said happily, her eyes lighting up. Emilia didn't see her cousin a lot at school, at least as far as she was concerned. If it was up to her, they would spend time together all the time. But she knew Evelyn had her own life with friends and a new boyfriend. Evleyn's words made her blush and she quickly looked away. "I didn't look as beautiful as you." She said softly. Her cousin's dress had been daring, but she couldn't call it anything but gorgeous. "And... um, yes. He's my friend." She said with a small shrug. "His name is Derek and he's in Slytherin." Emilia wasn't sure if she felt ready to tell her cousin she liked him yet, though she had the sinking feeling Evelyn could probably guess.

 

[Evelyn Manning-Kingsley]

Evelyn was glad to speak with her cousin. Emilia seemed to be on her place in Hufflepuff although she wouldn't see it that way at first. Evelyn could understand her cousin, she herself was so angry for not being in Slytherin with Espen. But she had found her place completly in Gryffindor. She didn't even want to think of being in Slytherin with Styx and those filthy spiders in the dungeons. The blonde smiled as Emilia called her name. It was fun to see a Manning, you could mostly see them from afar. The most had blonde hair and blue eyes. She smiled sweet as her cousin gave her a compliment back. '' Aw that's sweet of you. It's something in the family I guess than. Athena looked beautiful too so..'' Evelyn said with a smile to her cousin. The blonde was always curious about people and she loved to find out things. It wasn't that she would be angry if she would not find out, but especially when it came to family she was curious about with who her cousins hanged out. She felt protective for them too ofcourse. Evelyn knew the girls could take care of themselves and it was good to learn it to be like that, but she would be there for them no matter what. And she was sure Espen would be too. '' He seems like a nice kid! How did you meet?'' Evelyn asked to Emilia and waited for the answer to come. The boy's name was Derek and a Slytherin. My oh my was Emilia following the same path? Evelyn also seemed to have a thing for Slytherins, but it was just her own imagination, perhaps Emilia wasn't even into boys yet, or wasn't she? Evelyn looked at her cousin and saw how she smiled when speaking about him. '' Did he asked you for the Yule Ball? '' The blonde asked to her cousin, more questions ofcourse appeared. She was just excited for her cousin and was glad she hanged out with boys too. Because that was a good experiance and you could learn from that a lot the blonde thought. Sometimes you made mistakes, or hang out with the wrong boys or friends. But that was only a good lesson. But from what Evelyn had seen the boy had been very nice to her cousin. And he looked kind of cute, so perhaps Emilia saw that too. '' What do you think of him? Of Derek I mean?'' Evelyn asked to Emilia, and was curious what she would say. She could tell her anything ofcourse, it wasn't like she was gonna tell Derek or something.

 

[Emilia Manning]

Emilia couldn't help but be proud of the attention Evelyn was giving her. A small part of her hoped people would see them together, though the idea of other students paying attention to her was also kind of terrifying. She tried her best not to look around too much, instead focusing on her cousin. "I think everyone looked beautiful." She said a little shyly. It was always her favorite part of any events at Hogwarts, seeing how hard everyone worked on looking nice in their own ways. Emilia was a little startled by all the questions Evelyn was throwing at her, and she scrambled to answer them all nervously. "He is nice. Um, we met on the train last year." Thinking back to how she had lost sight of all her cousins that first day in the train made her remember how sad she had been, but in the end it had been nice. She had met Derek and Maggie, a girl who ended up in her dormitory. Emilia shook her head when Evelyn asked if he had asked her. "No... but we did go to the Valentine's dance together last year. And the yule ball before that we talked and he helped me feel at ease dancing." It felt strange to say the words out loud, and Emilia looked down at her plate as she said it. Evelyn's last question gave her pause, and she glanced at her older cousin cautiously. Had she figured out Emilia's crush? It was definitely too embarrassed to talk about. "I like him. I mean, he's my friend," she said, the words coming out in a rush. She shrugged and bit her lip, averting her gaze once more.

 

[Evelyn Manning-Kingsley]

Evelyn looked at her little cousin and smiled as she took a moment to really look at her. Emilia was so grown up from what she had remembered. Years ago she always runned after her and wanted to play with Evelyn and never lost a sight. The blonde knew that they liked Espen too, but it did seemed that they liked her a little bit more. Perhaps because they were all girls. Espen was the only boy next to their fathers. She smiled as Emilia said everyone was beautiful. The one that was beautiful was herself. Emilia was so sweet and nice to others, she was too good for this world she thought with a smile. '' That's sweet of you to say. I always like the Yule Ball the most. I'm already thinking about my dress for the last Yule Ball ever. It's so strange that next year is my last.'' Thinking about next year made the blonde a bit nervous. Was she ready to work and wouldn't thinks be all different when they leave school? Would she and Lucas still be together and would she still see her friends? Evelyn liked being on Hogwarts so much, because she had things under control again. And she knew what she had to do and people liked her. After Hogwarts she would meet new people again and had to prove herself all over again. But Evelyn knew what she wanted, she knew it from young age already. It was a bit nervous, but the blonde was confident about her future. Evelyn smiled again as Emilia answered about Derek and how they had met. The train was a good place to meet indeed. '' You went to a lot of stuff together than! I'm glad you have him as your friend. He sounds like a good friend. Can he dance a little? Or did he step on your toes?'' Evelyn said with a grin. She was joking ofcourse, but she remembered the boys in their first years. They were so young than and unknowing.

Evelyn took a cup and poured in some pumpkin juice. She was thirsty and figured she could hang out at the Hufflepuff table for a moment. It was nice to bring houses together right? Evelyn took a sip and than looked at Emilia again. Evelyn couldn't help but smile. She had a deepdown feeling that Emilia perhaps liked Derek more than she claimed, but whatever it was her life. Whenever she needed her big cousin she would be there to advice her. '' Your friend.. yes ofcourse. You hang out with Jacob too sometimes right? How is it with him?'' Evelyn was wondering how he was doing, since he wasn't really responding to herself. She missed Noah too and she figured he would even more. Noah was a rolemodel to look up to and his big brother. Evelyn was wondering if Emilia and Jacob ever talked about her, and if they were actually friends.

 

[Emilia Manning]

Emilia looked at Evelyn curiously as she mentioned she liked the yule ball the most. "Why do you like it more than valentine's day?" She asked curiously. She had attended both dances and had liked the pink love-themed decorations of the valentine's dance a lot. Inwardly, she cringed when the older girl mentioned the next yule ball would be her last. It was scary to think of a Hogwarts without Evelyn, though that would definitely be reality in just two years. But by then Emilia would be in her fourth year, and she knew she should be able to take care of herself by then. She just didn't think she would. "That is strange." She muttered, unwilling to continue entertaining that particular topic. Emilia laughed softly and shook her head at Evelyn's question. "He didn't step on my toes at all! I think I may have stepped on his once or twice..." She shrugged slightly and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I'm better at making music than dancing to it." She said softly.

It was nice that Evelyn apparently decided to stay for the entire meal. Her earlier comment had reminded Emilia of how little time they really had left together at school, so she was glad the older girl didn't run back to the Gryffindor table to sit with her boyfriend or maybe with Athena. It felt special. She wondered how Evelyn knew she spent time with Jacob sometimes, though she knew about the connection the girl had to his older brother, she didn't think they talked anymore. "He's a really good friend." She said with a small smile. Somehow, they always ended up talking about these deep and important things, and Emilia wasn't sure what brought it out. She had told him things she had never said to anyone else, and just felt comfortable with him. They didn't see each other every day, but when they hung out it still felt nice and comfortable. "He's nice and a really good listener."

 

[Evelyn Manning-Kingsley]

Evelyn wanted to make time for her cousin. She knew how difficult Emilia had it with not being with the family in the same house. But family was important to the blonde and she wanted to make sure her cousins were doing good. She saw Athena often in the common room, since they shared the same house. Though she hoped Emilia would find her place in Hufflepuff. And she was kind of sure that she would. A Manning could really make it she thought. Evelyn smiled as Emilia asked about the Yule Ball. '' The Yule Ball is more magical to me, and it has more good memories. I believe that Yule Ball is the event on the school to dress up most nicely. And I just love to put on those amazing dresses.'' It wasn't like she had to explain herself about fashion, because Emilia knew that also. But it was just true, it was the event of the school she believed. And ofcourse Valentines Dance was also nice, but more casual dresses she believed. '' Do you already have a dress for the Valentines Dance?'' Evelyn asked her cousin curiously. She herself ofcourse had it already figured out. She and Lucas could really celebrate the love they had for eachother than.

The blonde smiled shortly when she realized her Hogwarts schoollife was going so fast. '' It is. I'm kind of nervous to be honest. I never thought I would say that. I'm ready for building up my carrier, but my life right now is so amazing. I don't want that to be over.'' Evelyn said and she layed her feelings on the table. She didn't thought that was difficult and wasn't ashamed of that. What you saw you could get and that was the truth. Evelyn was curious what her cousin would do later, but she had so many years still ahead of her. Perhaps Athena would follow her mother into her fashion brand, or something completly different. Evelyn laughed at Emilia as she spoke about their dancing with Derek. '' You are good indeed. Are you playing a lot still?'' Evelyn asked her cousin. Both her cousins were musically, she herself far from that. But well everyone had their talents right? Emilia spoke little of Jacob but was glad that Emilia seemed to like Jacob. And she figured he would do too. '' I spoke to Athena. I've heard that you both are friends with him. I'm glad you are. But I think he is a bit mad at me. I can't blame him really.'' Evelyn said a bit sad. She didn't liked it when people were mad at her or something. She was used of everyone liking her and having fun. But the subject Noah ex-boyfriend was still sad to her. She missed him as her good friend, but respected the fact he wanted some distance. He didn't said they could never be friends again, so that was a start? Evelyn always wondered if Professor Kingsley ever blamed her. But that weren't the stuff they could talk about. Kingsley was professional and she acted like that. But everyone could blame her, she herself did too. But what was wrong with following your heart? If she stayed with Noah they wouldn't be happy and perhaps they would never speak to eachother anymore and things were worse?

 

[Emilia Manning]

It was interesting to hear why Evelyn liked the yule ball better. She supposed she could understand, but she still preferred the Valentine's dance a little bit more. It felt more romantic to her, though she obviously hadn't actually experienced it in a romantic way yet. Evelyn's question made Emilia shrug. "I'm not sure, I might wear the same one I did to the yule ball." She said, even though she was sure Evelyn wouldn't approve of that. She had done the same last year, as it felt a little safer to wear something she already knew rather than an entirely new dress. Besides, Derek had said she looked nice in it.

It was a surprise to hear Evelyn was nervous to graduate. In Emilia's eyes, Evelyn wasn't really someone who ever got nervous. She was always confident and always seemed to know what she was doing. "Do you know what you're going to do after Hogwarts?" She asked her curiously. It seemed strange that Evelyn would have a career to build up soon, when Emilia was still stuck in school for a long time. The age gap between them suddenly felt huge to her. She was glad Athena was still at school with her. "I don't play too much... the piano is in the arts room and I'm nervous about people hearing me." She admitted. It had happened once already, and while that had gone well, she was a little worried the next time someone heard her play they would make fun of her. Hearing Evelyn ask about Jacob made her feel a little uneasy, especially when she said he was mad at her. "Why?" She asked quietly, frowning a little. She wasn't sure what reasons Jacob would have for being angry at Evelyn. But Jacob and Evelyn were two of her favorite people, so it made her sad to hear that was the case.

 

[Evelyn Manning-Kingsley]

Evelyn was curious how her cousin would grow up and how she would look and act and what she would do in the future. The same was for Athena and her other cousins. She smiled as Emilia said she was going to wear the same. '' I can let my father send a dress if you'd like. Or perhaps aunt Cathryn can send you one from her brand? But I just like to wear something different every time.'' But that was just Evelyn perhaps, if her cousin wouldn't want that she need to do that. It was important if you felt comfertable in a dress of something you wear. But Evelyn always thought that clothes could make you more confident. Clothes were a part of you.

When Emilia asked what she wanted to do Evelyn smiled bright. She had some plans inside of her mind and she knew it already from young age and had writed it down what she wanted to do, but she just needed to do it and actually make it. '' I want to have my own brand and do something with fashion. Or start with being a model. I just want to do something with fashion. My dad wants me to work on the Ministry, but that's not where my passion lies. I think he will accept it.'' Evelyn said with a smile. Evelyn knew Athena and Emilia liked music and she thought Emilia could play really well. '' That's a shame! You play really well. I'm often there to work on my designs. I can keep you company if you'd like. People should hear it for sure.'' Evelyn said with a smile and hoped to give her cousin some confidence. '' Well for Noah leaving Hogwarts. Me breaking up with him was one of the reasons he left. And Jacob used to be a happy and kind person. I'm sure he still is, but he seems mad at me. Mad at his brother and sad for losing his aunt ofcourse.'' Evelyn explained and knew that perhaps Emilia didn't knew much about it.

 

[Emilia Manning]

Emilia blushed as Evelyn offered to take care of her dress problem, and quickly shook her head. She really didn't mind wearing the same thing twice. "It's okay, I'll pick what I'll wear myself." She said quickly. "It'll be fine." She said with a small nod, glad to have the conversation over.

In fact, the entire conversation with Evelyn was making her feel a bit uneasy. The reminder that her cousin was graduating soon wasn't really that welcome, even if hearing about her plans was exciting. She nodded as Evelyn said she might be a model first, as far as Emilia was concerned Evelyn was beautiful enough for that. It was also brave of her to go against her father, though Emilia had already known Evelyn was brave. She nodded and smiled at the suggestion of spending time together in the arts room, but she knew that would only be possible for a little more than one year. "I would like that." She said softly. "But no one has to hear me play." She added quickly. When Evelyn explained why Jacob might be mad at her, Emilia shifted in her seat. She wasn't sure if Jacob really was mad at Evelyn, as he had never brought her up. But maybe if she was part of the reason he lost his brother at school it wasn't entirely unreasonable for him to be mad? Even if it wasn't really Evelyn's fault. Emilia bit her lip. "He hasn't said anything about you to me after you broke up with Noah." She said softly. "But he's talked about his aunt... and some other things, but I think those are private things." She added quickly, hoping her cousin wouldn't pry. The talks she'd had with Jacob were very special to her, as they had been able to confide in each other in ways she hadn't expected. But maybe now that he was angry with Evelyn, he wouldn't want to talk to her anymore. The thought made her nervous and sad.